Buckle



Feb. 6, 1940. J, R. YBURN 2,189,118

" BUCKLE Filed Oct. 7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jam/,8 2.5mm?

ATTORNEY Feb. 6, 1940. J REYBURN 2,189,118

BUCKLE Fi led Oct. 7, 19:57 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 6,1940 BUCKLE John R. Reyburn, Fairfield, .Conn assignor to American Chain& Cable Company, 1110., a corporation of New York Application October 7,1937, Serial lfio 10.01ai'ms. (Cl. 24- 193).

the strap ten-sioning holding functions do This invention relates to astrap buckle of the lever type adapted to be'used more particularly inconnection with emergency traction. chains for vehicle wheels. M v I Themain objects of this invention are to provide an improved buckle whichis simple in construction, easy to manipulate and inexpensive tomanufacture, and which continues to function properly independently ofprecise original dimensions of the strap and buckle parts and of changeseffected by wear during service.

One known type of buckle comprises a buckle plate and a pivoted lever ofthe cam type. In this type of lever the cam bites into the strap as itpresses the strap against the. base during movement into lockingposition and when in looking position. The eificiency of this type ofbuckle depends upon refinements of manufacture not only of the bucklebut also of the strap as resistance to withdrawal of the strapirom thebuckle depends upon the amount of bite of the cam lever into the strap.Such biting into the strap causes the strap to weaken and to fray at thepoints-where the cam bites into the strap.

Insuch construction-s it is also necessary to pro,-', vide a relativelydeep channel in the. buckle plate to accommodate the cam of the leverandthe strap which results in the creation of a space between the leverand thestrap in which grit and v the lever locking elements fromcooperating with the cam locking means unless and until there has beensuiiicient slippage through the cam locking means to take up the slackcreated by the loop of the strap. In certain of these constructions thelever locking means comprises a transversely extending closed orinterrupted loop through which the strap must be threaded, or with whichit may be engaged with more or less diificulty by several reverselateral movements and disengaged by reverse lateral movements, all ofwhich will be difiicult under actual conditions in service. Furthermore,grit and ice and snow will collect in the loop portionof thejstrapwhereby when the lever is moved into open position the strap will not bepushed back over the base of the bucklerplate.

v.One of the more Specific objectsof thisinvention is to provide animproved buckle which said strap under said lug.

not de 1nd uponany roping action between the"lever"and the"bottom oi thebase of the buckleplate whereby a greater tolerance may be aiiowedin themanuiacture of the buckle and in" the selection of thestrap for use withthe buckle.

'Another object is to provide the lever with a strap receiving 'means' andto so locate such means on said lever with respect tothe bottom of thechannel in the buckle plate, that the strap may be readily' passed'through "ea-id channel and threaded into said meanswh'en the "lever isinfull open position parallel with-the buckle plate.

Another object of this invention is the-provi-- "sion of a leverlockinglug over-hanging one edge or the lever and betwe'en'which and thelever a strap may be moved by simple lateral movements of the strap,together with m ans-son the lever onjopposite sides of the lug forholding Another objectof th mention is the provision of a buckle whichincludes a more efiective primary holding means the effectiveness ofwhich increases with the increase of tension of 'the strap. a Otherobjects of the invention will appear-from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the drawings in which are shown several formsof theinvention.

In the accompanying-drawings; i

Figure 1 shows one former buckle applied to a tirechain shown mounted ona tire;

Fig. 2 shows 'in flongitudinal section a strap threaded through the loopin the lever in fully open position;-

Fig. 3 shows in longitudinal section the strap and lever in midwayposition;

Fig. i ls a detailed perspective View of the buckle showing the lever inlooking position, with the free end of thestrap swung lateraly prior toits being engaged with the wring g on the stal mate;

Fig. 5 is aview similar ,to Fig. fl in which the strap has beenlmovedflinto locking position be w n t e iev atmep awa e atented is l t ...b$. 1mev d int l ck n len al i lse with a slot inth e lever; I Fig. .16 is.aperspective View of a ,tire chain and oflthe lever and strap .inlocking position; H

Fig. 7 is 'a longitudinal section :through 1th buckle and strap on .linel-Jdn Fig.16;

Fig. 8 is atop plan view of the lever and buckle plate with the strapremoved; o

Fig. 9 is an end view of the lever and buckle plate with parts of thebuckle plate in section;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a modified form of the buckle;

Fig. 11 is an end view of the modification shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 shows the'lever in open position and the strap threaded throughthe loop in the lever;

Fig. 13 is'a longitudinal section taken on the line l3l3 on Fig. 10showing the lever in looking position;

Fig. 14 shows a top plan view of a second modified form of the buckleshowing the lever in closed position;

Fig. 15 is an end view of the buckle shown in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 shows the lever in open position and the end of a strap threadedthrough slots in the lever; and

Fig. 17 is a longitudinal section on line l'|-l'| of Fig. 14 showing thelever in locking position.

Referring to the drawings and first referring to Figs. 1 to 9 whichdisclose what may be considered the preferred form of my invention, inFig. 1 there is disclosed by dot and dash lines the outline of a tireand felloe showing a tire chain 20 of any suitable construction securedin position on the tire by a buckle made according to this invention.

The buckle comprises a buckle plate 2| which may be provided with achannel 22 providing side walls 23 and 24 forming a guide groove for thefree end of a strap 25 the other end of which may be secured in theusual manner to a plate 26 to which one set of ends of the cross chains20 may be secured, asindicated in Fig. 6. The side walls 23 and 24 arepreferably integral with laterally extended wings 21 and 28 to which theopposite set' of ends of the chains may be secured, as indicated in Fig.6. The tensioning and locking lever indicatedat 30 is preferablyprovided with laterally extending pintles 3| and 32 journalled in holes3la: and 32a: in the walls 23 and 24. The pintle holes 3la: and 32a: arepreferably located near the ends of the walls 23 and 24, as indicated inFigs. 8 and 9, and at a distance from the bottom of the base sufficientto accommodate the end of the strap 25 freely as the end of the strap isthreaded over the base of the channel in the buckle plate or removedtherefrom, as indicated in Fi 2. This distance is also such that therewill never be any gripping or pressing action by the lever of the strapagainst the base, as indicated clearly in Figs. 2, 3 and 7.

The wing 21 is provided with a locking lug 34 struck out of the sidewall 23 and projecting over one side of the channel or guide groove 22into the path of the locking lever 30 which lever is provided with aslot 34:1: to permit the lever to be moved below said lug, as indicatedin Fig. 8. This lug may be wider at its base than at its free end forpurposes of strengthening same and it is preferably slightly inclinedupwardly, as indicated in Figs. 4, 5, 8 and 9 to facilitate the movementof the strap into and out of locking position between the lever and thelug. The free end of the lever may be provided with a slot 30.7: throughwhich the strap maybe passed and located, asindicated in Fig. 6, thewalls 30g and 30a of said slot functioning as means for pre- [ventingdisengagement of the strap from the lug 34 I.

For the purpose of causing the strap to hug the end of the lever tightlyas it is moved from its open horizontal position to its lockinghorizontal position the top portion of the rear or pivoted end of thelever, as viewed in Fig. 8, is provided with opposing ears 36 and 3'!spaced from the body of the lever to permit the free passage of the endof the strap therebetween and which are placed sufficiently close to thepivot on the lever to cause the strap to engage the end of the lever asthe lever is moved from open to locking position for the purpose ofincreasing the bite between the pivoted end of the lever and the strap.These ears also function to hold the strap under the lug 34. The end ofthe lever may be provided with teeth 38, as indicated in Fig. 8.

The strap and buckle may be assembled as follows: In Figure 2 the leveris shown in open position and the end of the strap has been threadedthrough the channel in the buckle plate and through the space betweenthe ears 35 and 31 and the upper face of the lever. As clearly indicatedin this figure, this may be freely done as the parts are proportioned sothat the distance between the lever and the bottom of the channel 22 andthe distance between the ears 36 and 31 and the upper face of the leverare slightly greater than the thickness of the strap 25. The side wallsof the channel provide means also for facilitating threading of thestrap under the ears 36 and 37. After the strap has been threaded intothe buckle, as shown in Fig. 2, the lever may be moved toward closingposition, and as also indicated in Fig. 3 the lever may be moved withthe strap in the full line position A or the strap may be pressed on thelever and held in contact therewith as indicated in the dotted positionB or it may be preferably engaged with the slot 30a: in the end of thelever, as indicated in dotted position C. It will be noted that when thelever is moved from the op'encposition in Fig. 2 to the midway positionin Fig. 3, thestrap is immediately pulled and held against the end ofthe lever and that this biting contact of the lever on the strap causesthe lever to take up slack in the strap and tension the same.

.As the lever is then moved from the midway position shown in Fig. 3into the closed position,

indicated in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6, '7 and 8, the tensioning of the strap iscontinued. When the lever is in closed position the strap may be movedlaterally to the left, as indicated in Fig. 4, to clear the locking lug34 after which it may be moved laterally to the right into lockingposition under the lug 34. From this position the end of the strap maybe moved farther to the right andthen into alinement with the slot inthe lever, as indicated in Fig. 5, and then moved to the left into theposition shown in Figs. 6 and 1. In this position the walls of the slot300: in the end of the lever act as a lock for the locking engagementprovided by the lug 34. The ears 3'6 and 31 on the lever also hold thestrap under the lug 34. The construction is such that when the lever ismoved into locking position, the portion of the strap between the freeend of the lever and the pivoted end of the lever will be substantiallytaut immediately opposing any tendency of the strap to slip about thebiting edge of the lever as appears more clearly from Figs. 3 and 7.

To release the strap the operations before described for locking thelever in looking position, are reversed and disconnection between thestrap 0..the size ofthe loop will not be increased and.

with biting edges 54a: and 54 and 55m and set These slots have the samefunc-y ahdbuckle maybe readily effected as is -apparent. As shown inFig; 7,.th'erspaces between thestrap, lever and buckle platehave beenreduced to a minimum thereby preventing clogging of parts with grit,sand, snow, ice and the like: As the strap is held in close contactwiththe pivotedend of the lever providing a very narrow U- shaped loop; at.this point it is obvious that when. thelever is moved from looking toopen position,

that the strap will be pushed. rearwardly by movement of the leverwithout first having to reduce the size of the loop at this pointl As.appears from the figures and description given, it is clear that theefficiency. of the buckle does not depend upon any refinements inconstruction, such as would limit tolerances either in the constructionof the buckle or in the construction of the strap. to beused therewith.It

;is also obvious that the biting of the pivoted end of thelever on thestrap is increased directly with the tension on the strap andisindependent of the thickness of the-strap, and that looking lug 34immediately functions to prevent the strap from slipping on the bitingend of the lever.v i

The modification disclosed in Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive includes a buckleplate 40 provided with a guidingv groove or channel 4! with horizontallyflaring walls to provide for a wider section at the pointof pivotalconnection with the lever 42. The free end of the lever :32 is formedgenerally the same as the free end of the lever of the preferred form.Near its pivoted end the 35,:;lever E2 is bent upwardly, as at 13, anddownwardly, as atM, when. considered with respect to its lockingposition. The portion id" is extended laterally and then upwardly toprovidepivot lugs 45 and ii which are provided with apertures and .48'toreceive pintles 41m and 48a: struck out from the ends of the side wallsof the channel in the buckle plate 40. lhe lugs 45 and 4B are benttoward each other, as indicated to provide ears 49 and 50 constitutingwith the portion 44 an interrupted loop to receive the strap 25. Thestrap is assembled withthe buckle in the same way as described inconnection with Figs. 1 to 9, the open position of the lever being shownin Fig. 12 and the closed position being shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 13.By forming the pintles on the buckle plate instead of on the lever it ispossible to locate the ears 49 and 50 closer to the pivoted end of thelever to operate directly and immediately upon the strap to bend thesame about the end of the lever duringtensioning and locking operationand to push the strap rearwardly toward the entrant end of the channelupon initial movement of the lever from the locking position shown inFig. 13. By inclining the interrupted loop with respect to the length ofthe lever such operation is further facilitated. In this modification aswell as in the preferred form the parts are constructed so that thestrap will freely clear the bottom of the channel in the buckle plate inany position of the lever.

In the modification disclosed in Figs. 14 to 17,

r the buckle plate 5! is of the same construction respectively. tion asthe opposing cars 36 and 31 of themeferred' form. Pintles 55 and 51. areiormedon the end of the lever and aresupportedin open ings 56:1: and51a: inthe side .walls of the chain" nel in the buckle platen l V Asshown in Fig. 16, the lever when in itslfully. open position willpermitthe strap to bethreaded over the base'of thechannel in the buckleplate and throughthe aligned slots in the V--shaped portion 53ofthelever'. When the lever-isswung toward closing. position the pivotedend"58' or the lever and the walls ofthe aligned slots will frictionallyengageand bite into the strapand bend it-around the end of the lever andtension it as will be apparent from the description of the leverinthepreferredform. The free end of the strap islockeclin position.between the lever and the locking lug on the-buckle plate by engagementina slot in the lever in the same wayas in the other modifications.

All ofthe modifications disclosed show" the same principle ofconstruction. and operation;

Innone of these is the securing. and tensioning function dependentuponany cooperation: be;-:

tween the lever-and the bottom of the channel in the buckle plate. The,friction, and biting.

created between the lever and the strap results from engagement betweenthe strap and the-portionsof: the lever through which it isthreaded.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention:and several modifications thereof, it will be understood that theprinciples of my invention may be incorporated.

in still' other embodiments,fand that thedise closure herein made is tobe taken as illustrative and not limitative and that I- reservethe rightto make various changes. in form, construction and arrangement of partswithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forthin the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A strap securing device comprising a plate,

a lever pivoted at one of its ends to said plate for pivotal movementinto a plane parallel to the plane of said plate in strap releasing and.

securing positions, and a strap receiving loop on said lever receivingthe end of a strap passed across the plate when the lever is in strapreleasing position and providing means for causing the strap to bite theend of the lever upon initial and continued movement of the lever as itis moved toward strap securing position.

such as to provide for free movement of the strap over the plate andfree movement of the strap with the pivoted end of the lever as thelever is moved toward strap securing position.

3. A strap securing device comprising a plate, a lever pivoted at one ofits ends to said plate and mounted for movement into a plane parallel tosaid plate in strap releasing and securing positions, and strapreceiving means on the lever extendingtoward the plate when the lever isin strap releasing position and away fromthe plate when the lever is instrap securing position, said means being so located with respect to thepivot and end-of the lever as to cause thestrap to bite the end ofthelever and draw the strap forward as the lever is moved toward strapsecuring position,-and to move the strap rearwardly across the plate torelease the sameas the lever is moved toward strap releasing position.

4. A strap securing device comprising a plate, strap tensioning andstrap securing lever, pivots on one end of said lever lying in the planeof the main body of the lever and its pivoted end and journalled in saidplate, said pivots being so located with respect to the plate as topermit the strap to move freely with the lever over the plate in eitherdirection, strap retaining means-on said leveroperable to bend thestrapagainst the end of the lever as the lever is moved into strap securingposition to take up and tension the strap and ii to push the strap inthe opposite direction as the lever is returned to strap releasingposition, and

means on the plate and lever cooperating with the strap to lock thelever in strap securing position;

a 5. In a strap securing means, the combination of a plate, a lockinglever pivoted near one of its:

ends to said plate, ears on'the pivoted end of the lever provided withapertures to receive pintles on said plate, pintles on said plate, andoppositely facing extensions on said ears in the plane of said pintlesproviding a strap receiving loop at said pivoted end of said lever. i rl 6. A strap securing lever comprising a flat bar,

pintles projecting laterally from the side edges at one end of the bar,and strap receiving opposed ears formed on the side edges of said baradjacent said pintles.

7. A strap securing lever comprising a fiat bar provided at one end witha V-shaped portion extending transversely of the length of said bar,

apertured pivot ears formed on the leg of the V constituting the pivotedend of the link, and oppositely facing members on said ears constitutinga strap receiving means in connection with said leg of said V.

8. A strap securing lever comprising a flat bar provided at one end witha V-shaped portion extending transversely of the length of said bar, thelegs of said V being provided with alined strap receiving slots, andpintles formed on the free end of the leg of the V constituting the endof the lever.

9. A buckle comprising a plate, a lever pivoted at one end to said plateto be swung from strap releasing to strap securing position, a strapreceiving loop on the rear face of said lever adjacent the pivoted endof the lever through which the free end of a strap passed across thepivoted end of the lever may be threaded, the relative sizes of saidloop and strap being such the loop will frictionally engage the strapand bend it against the pivoted end of the lever as the lever is movedtoward strap securing position, and means on the plate cooperating withthe strap on the rear face of the lever for holding the strap againstthe lever and the lever in strap securing position.

10. A buckle comprising a frame, a lever pivoted at one end on the framefor movement between positions in which it secures a strap to the frameand releases a strap from the frame, a lug on the frame projecting intothe path of said lever, said lever being notched to clear said lug asthe lever is moved into strap securing position, and strap retainingmeans on said lever located between said notch and pivoted end fordrawing said strap upon the pivoted end of the lever to tension thestrap as the lever is moved from strap releasing into strap securingposition.

JOHN R. REYBURN.

